The Process of Happiness

I sat down in front of my computer yesterday and realized that I had nothing to write. I had a bit of a panicky feeling as it is a rare day when I have nothing to say! Usually, the thoughts come to me while moving through my daily routine. I have a small recorder that I carry around and blurt key phrases into, and then I play them back when I am ready to let them go on paper. The recorder has been empty for a couple of days.

Last night I was chatting with a fellow life coach and friend of mine, and I explained how I was experiencing writer’s block. As we talked through my dilemma, I suddenly realized what was happening to me. I was happy. I was experiencing what it was like to be so authentically real that it was difficult for me to describe anything but being just amazingly content. To this point, I have been describing my frustrations and how I have managed to unblock them and move on to who I am meant to be. Now that I am in a place that feels right and comfortable, life seems so peaceful and uncomplicated. I know I will continue to evolve, but I will do so by being completely self aware. “So, write about that”, she said. “Help others understand how you got there, because they desperately want that too”.

So, here goes. When I wrote my first blog post on August 2, 2010, I thought my main purpose for writing was to inspire other women to reap the rewards of finding the path to authentic purpose. Little did I know that I had not yet made my way to that final destination. I now realize that even though I am in a “happy” place now, there will always be moments of trying to make sense of things and allowing myself to do that. That is the epiphany; we are all works in progress and there is no final destination. We need to come to terms with that right from the onset of our mission for trueness. If we are trying to find a magic place to get to, we will be disappointed because the work never ends. The magic is in the work and once we get to a level of authenticity, the work becomes more celebratory than painful.

When trying to lose weight, we find ourselves looking for eating strategies and exercise programs that will guide us toward that goal of physical health. Finding such a strategy for emotional health is equally helpful. My first unconscious, yet natural strategy was to spend time with friends who really loved and understood me. I was drawn to them and all their wisdom. My next aid leapt out at me from a shelf in the form of a book. “The Artist’s Way” is a 12 step program that gave me work to do every day. It gave me the purpose I needed. It kept me focused on the goal I wanted to achieve without really knowing what the goal was. In the end it turned out to be happiness, pure and simple. After spending 12 weeks reading, writing and countless hours reflecting, I realized that what I had done was given myself my own therapy. It was hard emotional work and I wondered how I had accomplished such a feat. It was because I became passionate to find the greatness of true purpose as it related only to me. No one else could tell me what I needed to do to achieve this but, me. I needed the process; I needed to do the work. And the work allowed me to think and grow and evolve. It was a natural transformation and, oh so, life altering.

Once I came to this place of peace and purpose, I knew that I needed to share the process with others. It was just too good to keep to myself. The “Deserving Women; 12 Steps to Purpose and Authenticity” was born. With its first workshop starting on April 20th, I will be offering my experience, knowledge and inspiration in the facilitation of discovering and/or re-discovering your true self and, thus, your purpose in this universe; 12 weeks, 12 women seeking their true selves in a trusting environment; each one working to find her own path with the support of others looking for the same.  http://www.daretobedeserving.com/
xoxoxoxo